Deaf advocates have a big challenge. There are manyelected public officials that know nothing about thedeaf or do not care about the problems the deafpeople deal with. How to advocate? What is thebest way to advocate? What is Plan B when effortsto reach elected public officials become useless?These are big challenges.

— green card opportunities for deaf

It is more difficult for people to emigrateto USA nowadays, no matter if they are hearingor deaf. Years back, it was easier. A non-Englishspeaking deaf person, with university degree in SocialWork, was not able to find a job in this fieldin her nation. Agencies serving the deaf would onlyhire the hearing. Despite not knowing a single wordof English, she went to classes to learn the language,and was able to get a green card. She has been inUSA for some 15 years and is still employed as aCase Worker in a deaf agency in USA.

During a storm in South Carolina, the deaf man’s pickuptruck was parked outside. A tree slammed on it, destroyingit. The deaf man called the police, requesting paperworkso that he can file a claim with the insurance company.The police refused to fill out the paperwork. The policealso refused to provide an intepreter despite manyrequests. And making it worse, he was arrested (becauseof an old warrant). The U.S. Department of Justicerecently scolded the police department for giving himhard time. A picture is at:

One university said they have only one full time interpreterbut also contracts out with 35 part-time interpreters.The full time interpreter said he works full time becauseof the security of a paycheck. Which is better – a fulltime interpreter or a part-time interpreter?

— Wells Fargo wants to work with the deaf

Is Wells Fargo a good bank for the deaf and thepeople of color? It was announced last weekthat Wells Fargo is creating a program to helpdeaf people with their banking needs. Yetthere was a big story of Wells Fargodiscriminationg against a hearing woman ofcolor. That angry woman is filing a lawsuitaccusing the big bank of discrimination.

It was learned that only 16 states requireASL interpreters to be licensed. Also only12 (of these 16 states) accept RIDcertification as state license. What about34 states that do not require licenses?A big mess, it certainly is. A pictureis at:

Movie scripts used to punish deaf characters because of theirdeafness. That was true in Hollywood years ago. Not so anymore.

— 23andMe and ancestry sites may look into deaf genes

Many people grow up without knowing their real parents.This is the reason why these people sign up with23andMe and ancestry other sites in hopes of finding theirreal families. Cost ranges between $100 to $140. Thesearch looks for deafness genes, if any, as well aswith other non-deaf genetical issues.

Jack Hawkins was the director of Alabama School for theDeaf. In 1989 he accepted a job offer to become thepresident of Troy University. He has not forgotten hisdeaf roots; many of the landscape workers on the Troycampus are deaf. Not too many other presidents woulddo the same on behalf of the deaf!

— the only deaf person

A deaf man, who loves watching movies, said he oftenwas the only deaf person to watch an open captionedmovie at a theater. He was making a point, in thatdeaf people demand open captions but do not show upfor these open captioned movies!